While living aboard for several years on Florida's north west coast, where there are sailing days year round, I developed the
" INVERSE RULE OF BOAT USE". Use is inversely proportional to the size of the boat and the length of time that you have owned it. This is based on observing the daily use of about 120 boats (mostly sail) from 18 ft to 50ft.

The larger the boat, the less it is used. More maintenance, more to put way, more restrictive draft, more crew required before it leaves the slip.

The longer you have owned the boat the less you use it. The novelty wears off, spouse and kids develop other interests, "getting ready to go" becomes more of a chore.

While there are some people who break from this rule. It is amazing that after putting lots of money and time into our boats, they are used far less frequently than we imagined. The cure is to retire and go cruising.

Fair winds

Jorge

I've heard this "rule" frequently.

When we bought our '86 boat in '98 (after 13 years before that with a Catalina 25 on The Bay and ocean and Delta and a few with a Catalina 22 before that lake sailing), we vowed to make sure it didn't apply to us, regardless of all the boats around us who never went out. Never.

We use ours at least once a week, plus local Catalina 34 Fleet cruises and our own trips & vacations. I have decided that the only "work" left on our boat is taking the mainsail cover off and putting it back on, so as an extension of that, decided to never do simple daysails again and I go out for at least one night on anchor if not two each week.

In addition, I do all of our own maintenance (except for bottom jobs and standing rigging). I KNOW everything on the boat.

I believe the having your own boat assures you become knowledgeable about the systems and equipment on the boat, which, to me, is a SAFETY issue. One day the engine wouldn't start, but because I knew the electrical system, all I had to do was replace an 18 year old fuseholder. Beated having to call Vessel Assist! If I'd had a rental, I would have had NO CLUE.

Currently I am having an alternator rebuilt. I had the joy of removing the old one, checking the wiring, buying new nuts & bolts, and cleaning the engine compartment, then adjusting the alternator bracket once I learned that it needed to be done from a great post from Maine Sail.

I enjoy that part, too, sometimes just as much, because I'm always learning something, feel safer, know more, and, therefore, can relax and enjoy sailing her every week.

We also used to go to the BVIs, did many of the canals in Europe, sailed in Cornwall with a friend's friend, in Chicago with friends, etc. My Chicago friend, who has limited use due to weather, mentioned he and his wife were on board 120 days last year, set a new record. Sometimes the folks with partial year use end up using them more than folks with 365 availability.

This is one of those questions that begs an answer: Regardless of what anyone who answers this question does with their boats (and the gazillions of people who have boats but don't join this conversation! ), only YOU can answer that question for yourself.

For me, there is a difference between sailing my own boat and just going sailing. A boat is a system and I am constantly trying to perfect the system on my own boat, evaluating what I have done and thinking of what I have to do next. The value of that experience is why i pay a lot to own a boat.

Our sailing season on the lakes near Minneapolis, goes from late April (or whenever the ice is out) to the end of October when the marina pulls the boats. November could be a sailing month if they left our boats in.

During those months, my wife has commented that I seem most content when I get in three sails a week--one racing, one with the family, one solo. Our family overnighted 7 times last summer. I live 25 mins driving from my boat. This is my fifth full summer with this boat, though I have always had smaller boats.

The smaller the boat the more you use and the greater the pleasure, in my case starting with a 13'.
Since having a keeler and getting older I have found maintenance takes at least as long as sailing. At times I have used it twice a week over an 8 month season with 6-8 trips of 2-8 days but getting much less frequent with health issues.
It isn't just retirement. I used to fish 2x pw. Gave 90% away. Now may be 2 hours fishing 1 a month is enough.
There is a big difference between sitting in some bay or another on your own, and being out with the kids and dog and them swimming and cooking sausages on a fire on the beach.
Just looking around the marina. Some boats are used mostly those that race around the buoys and those with couples who both enjoy it. But I would guess most use it for say 2 weeks holidays and a few other weekends a year.
I really think a lot of the pleasure comes from sharing it.

While living aboard for several years on Florida's north west coast, where there are sailing days year round, I developed the
" INVERSE RULE OF BOAT USE". Use is inversely proportional to the size of the boat and the length of time that you have owned it. This is based on observing the daily use of about 120 boats (mostly sail) from 18 ft to 50ft.

The larger the boat, the less it is used. More maintenance, more to put way, more restrictive draft, more crew required before it leaves the slip.

The longer you have owned the boat the less you use it. The novelty wears off, spouse and kids develop other interests, "getting ready to go" becomes more of a chore.

While there are some people who break from this rule. It is amazing that after putting lots of money and time into our boats, they are used far less frequently than we imagined. The cure is to retire and go cruising.

Fair winds

Jorge

Not much true over here, where sailboats of whatever size tend to be used pretty intensively. Might be true for power boats, where the bigger ones tend to languish in their berths.

My 54' sailboat lives several thousand miles from where I work (full time; I'm not retired), but I consistently spend three months a year on board. Amount of annual use has not declined over the years.

We also sail year round over here, as the weather can be crap in any season

Like others, I say don't even TRY to justify. You either want it or don't. Most don't use their boats, that's the facts. Ask anyone who lives in a marina. We are on the very low income side of sailors in general, and I could never have "justified" the money we spent all those years having a boat in the marina, and before that on a trailer. But we were the exception on use, so we ate the costs. We didn't vacation outside boating, our weekends were on the boat, we even took the boat to dinner. A LOT. As in we sailed these boats 2, 3, even 4 days a week.

Now we live aboard (kids live in an apartment) and we see it even more. Boats are just not used. We just bought another trailer boat which will live in the water next to our housboat most of the time and will be sailed every day I'm not at work, plus being hauled all over the country.

I like that you are asking, it's a great idea. I like the idea of you leasing a season...see what it's like. Plus meet people and get plenty of time on OPB! It's a sure bet you'll know what you want to do if you take this route. I could never do it, I have the whole "It's my boat and this is how I want it" thing, but I think a lot of people would benifit from sharing the costs of ownership.

On my boat constantly and call it my beach house and is where I go to get away.

I was worried about moving from 26' to 36' but found the 36' boat is easier to manage and it's a hell of a lot more comfortable ... no strike that ... it's luxurious in comparison!

Each boat has been special and we sort of miss parts of each one. We started at a boat club renting. It's just not the same and eventually feels like a leash - to me.

The other day was really nice and we cooked a wonderful italian dinner on the boat on a whim - gorgeous sunset. When parents, kids or friends call (or sometimes just me) because its a nice day, we just go - that's what owning your own boat is about.

I try and go sailing at least once a week all year and probably twice a week in summer even if its just out the harbour for a cup of tea and a biscuit,In summer I do a lot of fishing and diving off the old girl as well.Boats always work better when they are used often.

If you own your boat, you can look at the weather forecast and decide whether to go sailing or not in a moment. Your bedding and basic store cupboard food are on board and you can be off at a moment's notice. If the weather doesn't quite turn out how you expected last wee then you can stay at home.

How many folk have you met who had a horrible time beating against a force 6 or 7 because their charter had been booked months in advance so they were 'forced' to sail. I see no point in headbanging to save money you have already commited.

Maybe it's not everyone's pleasure, but I enjoy tinkering and maintaining my boat - I do know that if I am caught out in heavy weather that all is spot on with it.

How many boats do you sail where you think 'if it were mine I'd just put a little hook there and a better block there. . . . .'

No, to my mind, if you can afford your own boat, have your own boat, chartering is a very expensive way of sailing and cuts out spontaneity